Millions of patients complain of neck pain every year. Whether it’s caused by injury, stress, or poor posture, the pain can be debilitating and affect your daily activities. This calls for the need for effective neck pain treatments so you can live your life to the fullest. Here’s a rundown of the most common treatments you can try.

Home Remedies

Sometimes, the pain can be addressed in the comfort of your home. Some home remedies you can consider are:

  • Self-massage. This works because you can choose the area of focus and the amount of pressure you apply.
  • Change your sleeping position. Does the pain only affect one side of your neck? Sleeping on the opposite side might relieve the pressure causing the pain.
  • Home traction exercises. Also known as cervical traction exercises, these can also help resolve neck pain at home. The movements done pull the head away from your body to stretch or decompress the spine. They also stretch the joints and muscles in the neck and open spaces of the spine where nerves exit.
  • Alternate use of heating pads and ice packs. Heat therapy relaxes the muscles and improves blood flow to the affected area. On the other hand, ice helps decrease swelling and pain.
  • Stress reduction techniques. Breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga can help remove the tension that may be contributing to your pain.
  • Lifestyle change. Do you have vices like smoking? Smoking can cause bone structure damage and accelerate degenerative disk disease. It also slows down healing. Eat a healthy diet that contains plenty of whole foods. Buy a smartwatch that monitors stress levels to adjust your lifestyle based on your stress triggers.

Interventional Neck Pain Treatment

Consult a health professional if home remedies aren’t working and your pain doesn’t resolve after some time. Some doctors who manage neck pain include family medicine doctors, rheumatologists, neurologists, and orthopedists.

They will review your history of symptoms and take note of the location, duration, intensity, and radiation of pain. Further testing may also be done, such as imaging and electrical tests for nerve involvement. The results of these tests will determine the precise cause and the most suitable treatment, which may include:

  • Pain medications and muscle relaxants. These are the first-line treatments for neck pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce inflammation, and muscle relaxants help the neck muscles recover.
    Steroid injections. A shot is injected near the nerve roots to lessen inflammation and eliminate pain.
  • Physical therapy. A fitness trainer or physical therapist will help you learn exercises that strengthen the neck muscles and improve flexibility.
  • Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) unit. This equipment produces a low-level electric current to the skin near your nerves. It aims to block the pain signal that causes discomfort.
  • Soft neck collar. This takes the pressure off the neck. However, it may do more harm than good if used for more than 1-2 weeks or more than 3 hours at a time.
  • Most cases normally don’t need surgery. However, this may be considered for the following reasons:
    • The nerve root needs to be decompressed by removing a damaged disc or other problematic structures.
    • Spinal cord decompression
    • The cervical spine needs to be stabilized.

Imaging or other diagnostic tests must confirm that one of these causes neck pain. If not, surgery is not beneficial and is not recommended.

  • Cervical radiofrequency ablation. This procedure damages the nerves that transmit pain signals to your brain. It is an alternate option to surgery when you feel headaches or pain associated with cervical spine changes.

neck pain treatment

Alternative Treatment Options

  • Chiropractic adjustments to the spine and neck reduce tension and improve posture.
  • Although data is limited, some studies are reporting that acupuncture is also effective. Small, thin needles are inserted into pressure points of the body to cure different ailments.
  • A trained practitioner can also give you a massage by kneading the neck muscles. This is beneficial for those suffering from chronic neck pain with tightened muscles.

When Is Neck Pain Considered an Emergency?

You must seek immediate medical attention if your neck pain:

  • Occurs after an accident
  • Involves losing control of your bowel or bladder
  • Involves nausea, dizziness, headache, or vomiting
  • Occurs with unexplained weight loss, fever, or chills
  • Occurs with loss of coordination in your legs or arms
  • Doesn’t improve after one week or doesn’t get better with medication

Explore Neck Pain Treatment Options at the Pain Treatment Institute

Dealing with neck pain is challenging. There are now several ways to reduce pain, allowing you to have a better quality of life. If you or your family need help in managing neck pain, you’ve come to the right place. Our team will help determine the root cause of your pain and the most appropriate treatment for it. Book an appointment with us today!